Slovak matters
Slovak matters is a column devoted to helping ex-pats and foreigners understand the beautiful but difficult Slovak language.
You say nazdar, I say dovi
From ships to Latin, Slovak's greeting vocabulary is rich and broad.
How to get out of a conversation in a hurry
You might be jammed, whistling, or falling, preferably without a parachute.
Slovak romance: What to say when flirting, dating, or dumping
In Slovakia, you don’t just flirt – you "hook" (zháčiť) or "pack" (zbaliť). Here’s the slang you need to play the game – or decode it.
A Spanish bird made of beef
If you get hangry, you probably feel like a wolf when hungry.
Strong as a beech, thin as a poplar
Trees provide a rich background for all kinds of Slovak sayings.
Honey on the tongue, poison in the heart
Hopefully powerful politicians learn that the handle will eventually fall off the water jug.
What to make of mak
What to do when you don't like a beloved Slovak ingredient?
Slovník is its own reward
Reading the dictionary is also funny.
Mikuláš or the Devil: Were you obedient?
In Slovakia, Mikuláš isn't just a jolly old fellow.
Vivat Slovakia: A language guide to independence
Written over 20 years ago, this article is surprisingly relevant to politics still today.
Slovak Matters: Slovak cooking lingo
Mixing up cesto (dough) and cesta (road/way/journey) may cause confused faces around you.
Slovak Matters: Sick as a dog, or under the dog?
The social aspect of being sick has changed since the pandemic, but the language is the same.
Slovak Matters: Hold your mushroom
Mushroom picking is Slovakia's favourite hobby, involving bugs, rain, cold, and poisonous fungi.
Slovak Matters: in praise of burčiak
The activity taking place in a bottle of burčiak can cause internal September storms.
Slovak Matters: learning with less trstenica and more internet
What a teacher will find in a Slovak classroom.
Slovak Matters: A 613 or bugatka car?
A litany of car expressions for you.
Slovak Matters: A Slovak's castle is his home
The fact that Slovakia exists at all is in part testament to its castle-building tradition - and there are many.
Slovak Matters: Summer clothing - or lack thereof
Reflexive verbs are hard to remember, but they make the difference between, for example, soaking in the water and peeing in the water.
Slovak Matters: What's in a town name?
If someone tells you to go to Prčice, is that a good place to visit?
Slovak Matters: Vy or ty?
One Slovak said she still has a hard time to tykať her mother-in-law after eight years of marriage, but one American boyfriend immediately started to tykať his girlfriend's mother.
- Slovak scientists help tear down two objections to Jurassic Park premise
- Ambulance hit by Russian drone goes on display in centre of Bratislava
- News digest: Police linked to Fico gunman video leak – minister accused of cover-up
- Slovakia’s public finances remain in deep trouble
- “Return not,” the ocean cried. But I returned for her
- Perk, Trnava: “Stylish, affordable, and seriously tasty” – restaurant review
- Women talk about the hidden cost of dreaming of a house with garden in the Bratislava outskirts
- Slovakia’s labour market falters as migration policy falls behind EU neighbours
- Perk, Trnava: “Stylish, affordable, and seriously tasty” – restaurant review
- Ambulance hit by Russian drone goes on display in centre of Bratislava
- Slovak scientists help tear down two objections to Jurassic Park premise
- News digest: Police linked to Fico gunman video leak – minister accused of cover-up
- Slovakia’s public finances remain in deep trouble
- Slovakia’s labour market falters as migration policy falls behind EU neighbours
- Police bosses handed cut-price “luxury” flats in Bratislava
- Cyclists, sausages and a railcar called Hurvínek Photo
- Ambulance hit by Russian drone goes on display in centre of Bratislava
- Perk, Trnava: “Stylish, affordable, and seriously tasty” – restaurant review
- Bratislava’s embassy-backed events you don’t want to miss
- Slovakia’s public finances remain in deep trouble
- “Return not,” the ocean cried. But I returned for her
- Slovakia mourns Pope Francis, a shepherd of hope and humility Photo
- News digest: Police linked to Fico gunman video leak – minister accused of cover-up
- Slovak scientists help tear down two objections to Jurassic Park premise
- “Return not,” the ocean cried. But I returned for her
- Ambulance hit by Russian drone goes on display in centre of Bratislava
- 3 free things to do in Bratislava in the next seven days
- US giant pulls plug on Slovak factory, axing 137 jobs
- Perk, Trnava: “Stylish, affordable, and seriously tasty” – restaurant review
- Hundreds of people ousted from Bratislava’s Volkswagen
- Bratislava’s embassy-backed events you don’t want to miss
- When to shop over Easter: Opening hours for supermarkets in Slovakia
- News digest: Next to no chance of next Pope being Slovak, here's why
- This weekend, Bratislava City Days offer the best way to explore the capital
- Rising labour costs in Slovakia aren’t matched by higher wages
- Women talk about the hidden cost of dreaming of a house with garden in the Bratislava outskirts
- Slovak scientists help tear down two objections to Jurassic Park premise
- News digest: Police linked to Fico gunman video leak – minister accused of cover-up
- Police bosses handed cut-price “luxury” flats in Bratislava
- Cyclists, sausages and a railcar called Hurvínek Photo More articles ›
